By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton appeared headed to abig West Virginia victory over front-runner Barack Obama in theDemocratic presidential race on Tuesday, although it could betoo late to turn around her faltering White House bid.
Clinton has an advantage of at least 20 points in mostopinion polls in West Virginia, a bastion of the whiteworking-class voters who have become her strongest supportersin the gruelling battle for the Democratic nomination.
But Obama retains a nearly insurmountable advantage indelegates who will select the nominee at the party conventionin August. A big win in West Virginia for the cash-strappedClinton will make barely a dent in Obama's advantage.
A Clinton victory could raise doubts about Obama's abilityto win important swing states in the November election againstRepublican John McCain, one of her top aides said.
"I think Democrats across the country tomorrow will beasking themselves why Sen. Obama, with all of his money, withall of the great press, with voters being told that he is theinevitable nominee, why did Sen. Obama lose West Virginia by 15points or so?" Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said on NBC's"Today Show."
West Virginia has just 28 delegates at stake in Tuesday'svoting, which ends at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT). Results areexpected shortly afterward.
Clinton, a New York senator who has vowed to keep fightingdespite her dwindling prospects and a mounting campaign debt,spent the day in West Virginia on Monday and showed no sign shewas ready to step aside.
"I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't believe that I couldbe the best president for West Virginia and America and that Iwas the stronger candidate to take on John McCain in the fall,"she said at a rally in Logan, West Virginia.
Obama, already looking to November, made a quick appearancein West Virginia on Monday and announced plans to visit generalelection battlegrounds Missouri, Michigan and Florida in thenext week.
"The Democrats are going to unify and we're trying to getsome independents and we're trying to get some Republicans,"Obama said at an evening rally in Louisville, Kentucky, whichholds a nominating contest on May 20.
DEMOCRATS EXPECT PARTY UNITY
Despite calls from some Democratic officials for Clinton toquit, a new ABC News/Washington Post poll found nearlytwo-thirds of national Democrats say there is no rush forClinton to get out of the race.
Even 42 percent of Obama's supporters said Clinton shouldremain to the end of voting on June 3, rejecting the idea thata prolonged race would hurt the party. The poll found 85percent of Democrats were confident the party would cometogether once it settled on a nominee.
After West Virginia, five more contests remain in theDemocratic nominating battle with a combined 189 delegates atstake. Oregon and Kentucky vote on May 20, while Puerto Ricovotes on June 1 and Montana and South Dakota vote on June 3.
An MSNBC count gives Obama 1,869 delegates to Clinton's1,703, leaving him 156 short of the 2,025 needed to clinch thenomination. But neither can win without help fromsuperdelegates -- nearly 800 party officials who are free toback any candidate.
Obama has been gaining ground among superdelegates forweeks. He picked up four more on Monday and now has a narrowlead over Clinton among superdelegates, with less than 250still uncommitted.
(Additional reporting by Deborah Charles, Chris Baltimoreand Andy Sullivan; Editing by Bill Trott)
(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visitReuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online athttp:/blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)
